JayATL
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President Obama's daughter Sasha finally found the perfect study partner for her developing Chinese skills: Chinese President Hu Jintao, in town for a historic state meeting this week.
According to Reuters, the nine-year-old developing polyglot is currently learning Mandarin with her classmates, and sought out the Chinese leader's assistance in a language exchange, a moment which Hu recalled during a formal state dinner.
"Not every [child] has the opportunity to try out their first phrases of Chinese with the president of China, but she had that chance," Ben Rhodes, a White House deputy national security adviser, told a video conference with Chinese bloggers. "She's under 10 years old and they're studying Chinese, and she wanted to have the chance to practice her Chinese with President Hu." He went on to note the anecdote illustrated Americans' desire to get to know China better with more people studying the country and doing business there.
Sasha was in attendance with other members of her class on Wednesday for Hu's welcoming ceremony, and could be seen waving a Chinese flag.
